


swirling clouds in violet haze.

by paleromantic, tylerscreamingintothevoid



Category: All For The Game - Nora Sakavic
Genre: Aaron has a crush, Bruises, F/M, High School AU, Implied abuse, Mild Angst, Mostly Fluff, artist au?, its cute, katelyn is an artist and she's drawing aaron, tilda is alive
Language: English
Status: Completed
Published: 2018-09-06
Updated: 2018-09-06
Packaged: 2019-07-07 18:15:11
Rating: Teen And Up Audiences
Warnings: No Archive Warnings Apply
Chapters: 1
Words: 2,584
Publisher: archiveofourown.org
Story URL: https://archiveofourown.org/works/15913629
Author URL: https://archiveofourown.org/users/paleromantic/pseuds/paleromantic, https://archiveofourown.org/users/tylerscreamingintothevoid/pseuds/tylerscreamingintothevoid
Summary: She gave a nervous shrug. "Would-would you be okay with maybe taking a few... ten minutes... half an hour with me to let me sketch you out?"Aaron very nearly said no on principle, before he frowned. "Wait, you got Andrew to sit still for you?""He had to. It's a long story, he was just told to by one of his professors. It's not as important as your answer right now."





	swirling clouds in violet haze.

**Author's Note:**

> Hey! I hope y'all enjoy this. (The title lyric is from Vincent by Don McLean which isn't super fluffy but it is my favourite song and art related sooooo) - Aaron!

It was too fucking cold for this shit.  

The edge of the car door dug into Aaron's back a little as he leaned into it, leaving it cracked enough to hear the music from inside. Some dumb music station, but he was too busy to change it. He took a drag of his cigarette before dropping it to his feet and crushing it into the asphalt, taking out another one and lighting it with his hand cupped around it. Head bowed, he didn't notice the sound of someone approaching him.

"Andrew's twin, right?"

The girl was standing at the other end of the car, holding a sketchbook close to her prim white cotton sweater. Aaron had seen her around before, she was one of the cheerleaders for their Exy team.

He flinched, burning his finger on the lighter and shaking it up and down, before sticking it in his mouth to ease the pain a little.

"Shit! Fuck, yeah I am what do you want?"

Aaron glared as he turned to look at her, before stopping short as he saw her. Just his luck that he'd swear at the prettiest girl he'd ever seen and look like a complete idiot while doing it. She didn't comment on it though, simply laying her sketchbook out onto the hood of the car. "I have an assignment due for tomorrow, but I've got no model. Your brother bailed on me."

She gave a nervous shrug. "Would-would you be okay with maybe taking a few... ten minutes... half an hour with me to let me sketch you out?"

Aaron very nearly said no on principle, before he frowned. "Wait, you got Andrew to sit still for you?"

"He had to. It's a long story, he was just told to by one of his professors. It's not as important as your answer right now."

Aaron weighed up his options. He could go home, do homework, get drunk, pass out, or go hang out with a pretty girl for a half hour instead. Not exactly a hard call, if he was being honest.

"Uh... sure, yeah. I'm Aaron, by the way."

"Cute. I'm Katelyn," she said with a charming smile and an outstretched hand.

Aaron could feel his face heat up slightly, and he shook her hand. "Cool. Where do you wanna do this?"

"Well, Andrew and I had done some of our work just down in the quad, but if you'd prefer privacy we could go to my dorm room?"

"Privacy would be great, actually..." Aaron put out his cigarette again. "Where are your dorms?"

Katelyn started walking down to the building where the dorms were, where they separated based on gender. She headed down the girls' corridor until she came upon her own room, unlocking the door and letting it swing open.

Aaron stepped through the door and then chuckled, running a hand over the light pink duvet. It matched... pretty much everything in the room besides the walls.

"You like pink, huh?"

"Yep." She opened the window to air out the room, stuffy from the scent of the reed diffuser that sat on the desk. Her pretty pink desk had paint palettes on it too, with watercolours nearby and brushes all over the place.

"Okay, model, take a seat," she said, gesturing to a stool.

Aaron shrugged his jacket off and tossed it onto the bed, before sitting on the stool. "What do you want me to do with my hands?"

"Just on your lap, if you could."

Aaron nodded and did as she said. "Like that?"

"Sure. And tilt your head a little..."

Aaron hummed and followed her directions, trying to stay still as she sketched him.

Katelyn made an odd humph noise a little while into sketching and she set her paper down, moving over and holding her hand out to move Aaron's chin two inches higher.

Her fingers were soft, completely different to the calloused fingers that came from playing Exy. Aaron stiffened slightly before forcing himself to relax, letting her move him into the correct position.

"So, how long have you been drawing?"

"Not too long. I switched to the class 'cause I had to drop one of my others. I don't love it, but I guess I'm alright at it."

He swallowed and nodded minutely. "That's cool, I like biology. Wanna be a doctor."

She started rubbing things out with her eraser, redoing lines that helped shape the blonde's face. She couldn't help but notice that it was that bit more handsome than Andrew's, less sharp pointed edges and more curves.

"That's cool, Aaron. You must have good grades, then.”

Aaron's cheeks had gone a little pink under her ministrations. "Yeah, I guess."

"It's nice to meet someone... scholarly? I don’t know," she chuckled, "That's probably not the word I'm looking for."

Aaron snorted. "Scholarly? Nah. I just wanna get out of here."

"That's fair. Sorry for assuming the best, huh?" She hummed and grabbed her eraser, rubbing out a section before redrawing it.

Aaron laughed then, properly. "Most people don't, so thanks I guess."

He didn't know why he was making himself look so bad to her. Andrew's therapist would probably call it an 'unhealthy coping mechanism'. Aaron didn't like the way that sounded, so he stopped that train of thought right there.

"I'm uh, I'm hoping for a scholarship. I want to go somewhere out of state, I've never been out of South Carolina."

"Oh, wow, that’s awesome." Katelyn didn't sound disinterested, merely distracted. She finished off with another few strokes of her pencil before she held it out. "Good enough."

Aaron stole it from her hands, and then looked it over, raising an eyebrow. "Shit, Kate, this is _good_. You're like, a real fuckin artist."

"I'm not really, I'm mediocre at best."

She shrugged. "It'll be enough for the assignment, though. Thanks for your help, sugar... It means a lot, on such short notice."

"Yeah, no problem." Aaron tried his best at a smile, although it probably ended up as more of a grin. "Sorry Andrew flaked on you."

"It's alright. Sorry for wasting your time. I'll repay you sometime with a favour, right?"

Aaron's cheeks reddened as his brain took that and ran with it. It took him a second or two to rein in his thought enough to reply to her.

"You know where to find me, when you wanna cash that in." Aaron chuckled and got up, grabbing his coat. "Good luck with the assignment."

"Good luck with being a doctor." She grinned and walked him to the door, closing it behind him as he left. Aaron lit a cigarette as he reached the footpath outside, walking towards the car and fishing his phone out of his pocket to call his brother.

 

* * * * * * * * * * * *

 

Aaron pulled his locker door open to shove his books inside, huffing at the state of it before starting to tidy them haphazardly. He only had one more class that day, and he had the rest of the afternoon off after that, so he figured that he'd be able to leave most of his books at school, the ones he wasn't using to study.

His bag was considerably lighter by the time he slammed his locker shut again, and he turned around without thinking, almost bumping right into someone.

"Watch it- fuck, Katelyn?"

Katelyn chuckled, hitching her backpack up onto her shoulders. "Sorry, did I scare you?" She took a deep breath then, and Aaron waited for her to speak again.

"I don't mean to bother you, but..."

He raised an eyebrow. "Did my brother fuck you over again?"

"Oh, no, no. It's just... I have another assignment and I don't- I don't wanna ask Andrew for help, you were so compliant last time so..."

She seemed a little nervous, and he could already feel his resolve crumbling.

"You want me to sit for you again?" Aaron smirked at her. "I know I'm hot, but come on."

He said it jokingly and shoved his hands in his pockets, laughing as she rolled her eyes and went a little pink.

"I'd like you to stand. Is that okay? And- see, the assignment was more focused on drawing bodies..."

She sighed. "I'd like you to model shirtless for me, if you could. If you don't feel comfortable I can-"

"No, I'll do it." Aaron was surprised at his own answer, and it showed. He hadn't been shirtless in front of anyone for years, why the fuck would he agree to parade around his fucked up home life in front of a complete stranger?

"You need a model, I guess."

"I do. You're sure?" She looked hopeful, and Aaron was a goner.

"Uh, yeah. Your dorm again?" His last class was only German, anyway. He could google it.

"Would that be okay?"

"Yeah. Now?"

Katelyn checked her watch quickly. "Mm, half an hour?"

Aaron nodded. "Meet you there, I can go get something to eat."

In about half an hour, Aaron felt his anxiety pooling in his stomach as he knocked on the door to Katelyn's dorm.

She opened the door and smiled. "You came!"

She was wearing pale lavender jogging pants, as well as a light grey crop top, exposing her stomach. She looked great.

Aaron stared for a second, before smiling and putting his phone away. "Hey, course I did."

She opened the door wider for him to come in and she stepped inside herself.

She sat down on the side of the bed and crossed her legs, reaching for her sketchbook.

Aaron took his hoodie off, folding it and putting it on the chair. "Uh, before we start..."

His stomach flipped a couple of times.

"Yeah?"

"Uh... actually, it's probably just better to..."

He took a deep breath and pulled his shirt off over his head. He was pretty fit, thanks to regular sports practice, but the yellowing bruises on his ribs and back didn't do him any favours. Neither did the ugly scar that ran along the underside of his ribs. Courtesy of his mother.

Katelyn looked him over a few times before shaking her head. "Aaron, I-"

He looked resigned. "I know, it's ugly. You can just ignore it for your drawing, no one wants to see this anyway."

"I wasn't going to say that. I wouldn't say that!"

"You didn't have to, Kate." He crossed his arms over his chest. "How do you want me to stand?"

Katelyn sighed and got to her feet. "Do you mind if I..."

"Huh? Oh, go ahead."

Aaron visibly stiffened at the thought of someone touching him, but he sounded sure.

She pressed her hand to his side, prompting him to turn and hold his back straighter. Her hands smoothed across the scar, somewhat soothing and relaxing him. Katelyn had him put his hands on his hips, her hooking his fingers in his jean waistband, and she tilted his head at an angle.

"Can you hold that?"

Aaron went bright red, and nodded silently.

She smiled and smoothed her hands down his chest one more time. "They're not ugly, alright?"

She then sat back down and started sketching. Aaron looked pretty dazed, and he was blushing to the tips of his ears, but he held the pose as he was told.

After ten to fifteen minutes Katelyn sat up and reached for a bottle of water. "You can take a break if you want."

Aaron nodded and rolled his neck, stretching a little and groaning. "How's it coming along?"

She held the sketchbook close to her chest. "It's alright so far. I'll only show you it when it's done, though..."

Aaron chuckled and nodded. "Jeez, okay!"

When she wasn't focused on drawing, he was pretty distracting this time. She ran her gaze along his whole body, watching him quickly gulp down the water. Exy had certainly done wonders on him, that was for sure.

He caught her once, going pink again and putting the bottle down. "Wanna keep going?"

"Sure. Do you remember how I set you?"

Aaron did his best approximation of it, which, to his credit, was only a little off. She quickly set his hands back down to his waistband, her fingers brushing off his hips as she did so.

"There. Hold that again." She sat back down, lifting her pencil and making quick strokes along the page.

Aaron held as well as he could, until she was done drawing.

"Okay, you can let go now."

He hadn't realised he had been holding in his breath and sucking in his gut until she said that.

He exhaled and grinned at her. "Did you make me look good?"

She turned the sketchbook around to show him. Fuck, he looked fine. She had taken the liberties of beefing him up just slightly, but not enough that he looked strange.

She also included every mark that was on his body.

"Is it okay that I left those in?"

Aaron frowned, slightly. "Why would you want to?"

"I don't know, I just thought they looked... okay, I'm sorry, I can remove them if you like...'

"No, I... It's fine, they're just not..." Aaron shook his head and then smiled. "It's an amazing drawing, Kate."

"I think they... well, not that they add character, but they're part of the drawing, I think. Sorry."

"No, look, it's fine." Aaron huffed and moved closer, taking the sketchbook. "They don't look as bad on paper, I guess."

"I don't think they make you look bad anyway though."

"... What?"

"They don't make you look bad is all." She shrugged and reached for her sketchbook back.

"You really think so?"

"Mmhm."

Aaron looked like he didn't believe her. "You don't have to be so nice to me just because I'm fucked up, Kate."

"I'm not being nice to you because you're fucked up," she huffed, "I'm saying you look good because you look good, okay?"

"But I don't."

"You do."

She gestured for him to sit down. He paused, before sitting beside her.

She put her hand on his chest, over one of the bruises. "This doesn't make you ugly."

"Kate-"

"I don't have an assignment due."

It took a few seconds for Aaron to realise what she meant, so she continued. "I just wanted to see you again, I thought maybe you wouldn't want to hang out with me if it wasn't to help me.”

"You... what?" He went pink again. "You wanted to see me again."

"Yeah."

"I would have come even if it wasn't for an assignment!"

Katelyn blushed and snorted. "Maybe."

"The only reason I even came in the first place was because you're so..."

Her eyes widened, and she bit her lip. "I'm so...?"

"Fuckin gorgeous?" He wiped at his face, as if trying to scrub off the blush.

"You- what?” She blinked and sat herself up. "No. Really?"

"Yes?" Aaron looked at her like she was crazy. "You're a fucking _cheerleader_ , man."

"I know, but I don't usually... I don't usually hang out with guys. And you don't seem like you're in it just for... for sex."

Aaron shook his head. "Nah, I... I mean, I wouldn't complain, but I like spending time with you."

"Aaron, you’re so sweet, I..." Katelyn's hands went down to his sides, and she brought her leg over his to sit on his lap. "Kiss me?"

Aaron froze, his hands hovering above her waist. It was adorable really, but she didn't have time to register that before he was kissing her.


End file.
